Vriesea minutiflora Leme, 2011

Leme, Elton M. C. & Kollmann, Ludovic J. C., 2011, New species and a new combination of Brazilian Bromeliaceae, Phytotaxa 16 (1), pp. 1-36 : 22-25

Vriesea minutiflora Leme , sp. nov. ( Figs. 8 , C–D, 9 , O–S)

A Vriesea ruschii subsp. leonii , cui similis, foliis suberecto-arcuatis, inflorescentia 30–60 cm longa, ramis lateralibus floribus plus numerosis, bracteis floriferis stramineis, basalibus carinatis, minoribus, floribus minoribus et sepalis petalisque minoribus differt; a V. cearensis , cui affinis, sed bracteis scapi acuminatis, inflorescentia 30–60 cm longa, ramis lateralibus longioribus, floribus plus numerosis, appendicis petalorum majoribus differt.

Type:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Iguaí, near the border with Dário Meira, Serra dos Índios, Rio dos Índios, propriedade de Alfredo Pinheiro, 14º 31.74’ S, 40º 05.17’ W, 926 m, 26 May 2007, Leme 7063 (holotype RB) .

Plant epiphytic, flowering ca. 110 cm high, propagating by basal shoots. Leaves 20–30, densely rosulate, arcuate, forming a broad funnelform rosette; sheaths elliptic, ca. 13 × 8.5 cm, densely brown lepidote, dark castaneous near the base, paler toward the apex; blades long linear, rounded to subacute and minutely apiculate, 32–50 × 3.7–4.5 cm, not narrowed at the base, finely nerved, glaucous-green, inconspicuously and sparsely white lepidote to glabrescent, covered by white wax mainly abaxially. Peduncle 50–60 cm long, 0.5– 0.7 cm in diameter, erect, green, glabrous, sulcate when drying; peduncle bracts the basal ones subfoliaceous, the upper ones ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, enfolding the peduncle at the base but not completely concealing it, erect except for the the suberect apex, glaucous-green, glabrescent, the basal ones distinctly surpassing the internodes, the upper ones equaling to distinctly shorter than the internodes. Inflorescence paniculate, laxly once-branched, 30–60 cm long, 15–25 cm in diameter, erect; primary bracts broadly subtriangular-ovate, acute and apiculate, 2.3–2.5 x 2 cm, stramineous, glabrescent, distinctly shorter than the stipes; branches 4 to 9 (including the terminal one), the lateral ones 14–22 cm long, densely flowered at anthesis, with 11 to 23 flowers; stipes 4–7 cm long, 0.3–0.5 cm in diameter, glabrous, green, bearing 2 to 4 suberect to erect, carinate, sterile bracts; rachis geniculate, green, glabrous; internodes 4–12 mm long, ca. 0.3 mm in diameter; the terminal branch 21–30 cm long, with 16 to 27 flowers, its stipe 10–13 cm long, bearing 4 to 6 ecarinate sterile bracts distinctly shorter than the internodes; floral bracts broadly subtriangular, narrowly obtuse, 12–16 × 10–13 mm, distichous, suberect, not imbricate and exposing the rachis, slightly secund with the flowers, stramineous at anthesis, inconspicuously brown lepidote inside, not fully enfolding the sepals and about reaching 1/3 to 1/2 of their length, the basal ones carinate, the upper ones obtusely if at all carinate, apex straight to slightly incurved. Flowers nocturnal, producing a weak garlic odor, sublaxly arranged, slightly divergent or suberect before anthesis, strongly downwardly secund at anthesis, 26–27 mm long (including the petals), pedicels 4–5 mm long, 5–6 mm in diameter, green, glabrous; sepals oblong-ovate to subelliptic, apex subacute to acute, 16–17 × 8–9 mm, cymbiform, subdensely and very inconspicuously white lepidote inside, ecarinate, green, nerved mainly toward the apex, becoming stramineous at the apex; petals obovate to spatulate, apex emarginate, 20–23 × 9–12 mm, connate at the base for 3–4 mm, yellowish or sometimes with purplish-wine spots concentrated near the apex, suberect to nearly spreading at anthesis and forming a campanulate corolla ca. 15 mm in diameter at the apex; bearing 2 narrowly lanceolate, acuminate to shortly bidentate appendages at the base, 8–11 × 2–2.5 mm, adnate to the petals for ca. 5 mm. Stamens included and radially arranged; anthers sublinear-sagittate, apex apiculate, 5–6 mm long; stigma convolute-bladed, ca. 2 mm in diameter, shortly papillose, pale yellow to apically wine colored; ovules shortly caudate. Capsules unkown.

Distribution and habitat:— Vriesea minutiflora is a typical understory epiphyte of the hygrophilous Atlantic Forest of Bahia, on the higher spots on the mountains elevations of 800 to 950 m. It is known from two difference places (i.e., holotype and paratype locations) which have similar bromeliad flora represented by Aechmea turbinocalyx Mez , Billbergia morelii Brongn. , Canistrum auratum Leme , Nidularium bicolor (E.Pereira) Leme , Racinaea spiculosa (Griseb.) M.A.Spencer & L.B.Sm. , Ronnbergia silvana Leme , Vriesea blackburniana Leme , Vriesea oleosa Leme , and V. rodigasiana E.Morren , to name a few.

Etymology:—The comparatively small flowers of Vriesea minutiflora inspired its name.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes):— BRAZIL. Bahia: Nova Canaã, Serra da Boa Vista ( Serra da Oricana ), 15 August 2001, Leme 5284 ( HB); Silva s.n., fl. cult. August 2004, Leme 5137 ( HB) .

Observations:— Vriesea minutiflora is a member of section Xiphion (E.Morren) Wawra ex Wittm. , being most similar to V. ruschii subsp. leonii Leme (1993: 2) , which is a taxon currently under study to reevaluate it and elevate its status to species rank (Leme unpubl.). The morphological differences to be highlighted in comparison with the latter are: the arcuate leaves (vs. suberect), comparatively longer inflorescence (30–60 cm vs. 20–35 cm long), bearing lateral branches with more numerous flowers (11–23 vs. 8–15 flowers), stramineous floral bracts (vs. pale green) with the basal ones carinate (vs. ecarinate) and smaller (12–16 × 10– 13 mm vs. ca. 20 × 18 mm), smaller flowers (26–27 vs. 35 mm long), smaller sepals (16–17 × 8-9 mm vs. ca. 20 × 12 mm), and also by the smaller petals (20–23 × 9–12 mm vs. ca. 28 × 13 mm). On the other hand, this new species can be associated to V. cearensis Smith (1960:255) , differing by the acuminate peduncle bracts (vs. rounded and minutely apiculate), longer inflorescence (30–60 vs. 20–25 cm long) with longer lateral branches (14–22 vs. 9–13 cm long) and more numerous flowers per branch (11–23 vs. 4–9 flowers), and by the larger petals appendages (8–11 × 2–2.5 mm vs. 6 × 1.5 mm).

Figures

FIGURE 8. A–B. Orthophytum rafaelii (Leme 8152). A. Habit. B. Inflorescence. C–D. Vriesea minutiflora (Leme 7063). C. Habit. D. Floral detail.

FIGURE 9. A–G. Neoregelia retrorsa (Leme 7371). A. Leaf blade apex. B. Basal margin of the leaf blade. C. Outer floral bract. D. Inner floral bract. E. Flower. F. Sepal. G. Petal. H–N. Orthophytum rafaelii (Leme 8152). H. Leaf. I. Sepal. J. Petal. K. Floral bract of the simple part of the inflorescence. L. Floral bract of the fascicle. M. Flower. N. Details of the petal appendages. O–S. Vriesea minutiflora (Leme 7063 et. al.). O. Leaf blade apex. P. Floral bract. Q. Flower. R. Sepal. S. Petal.